Political News - Wisconsin - onPolitix

Walker, Barrett spar over jobs

2012-05-18T20:39:33Z

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger Tom Barrett are sparring for a fifth day over how many jobs have been created or lost in Wisconsin.

A new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Friday shows Wisconsin lost more jobs than any other state between April 2011 and last month. But Walker says that should be ignored because of more comprehensive survey of employers actually shows a 23,300 job gain in 2011 versus a nearly 34,000 loss.

Walker released those figures before they had been vetted by the BLS, a move Barrett says makes them unreliable and unbelievable.

The debate over jobs comes less than three weeks before the June 5 recall vote.

Judge: Union members can decide on dues

2012-05-18T20:27:35Z

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that Wisconsin public union members must proactively tell the state to subtract dues from their paychecks.

U.S. District Judge William Conley's decision Friday stems from a lawsuit challenging Republican Gov. Scott Walker's law stripping most public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.

Conley upheld most of the law in March. The state and the unions, though, asked him to clarify part of his ruling that overturned the law's prohibition on automatic due withdrawals.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Conley decided union members must tell the state if they want their dues deducted. The judge said members who opt in must commit to payments for a year.

Walker still has hope for iron mine

2012-05-18T16:41:23Z

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker said Friday he still holds out hope for an iron mine in northern Wisconsin.

Walker says he's asked former Bucyrus International CEO Tim Sullivan to bring mining experts and conservation leaders together to see if there's a way to get the mine near Ashland approved. He predicts modified legislation could be considered by the end of the year.

Legislation to streamline mine permitting and clear the way for a $1.5 billion Gogebic Taconite mine failed in the Senate in March. After that, a frustrated Gogebic president Bill Williams said the company was leaving Wisconsin.

The mine could bring as many as 700 jobs to an area that strongly needs employment. The Journal Sentinel reports Walker believes the mining bill failed because of recall-driven politics.

Legislators file to run in new dist.

2012-05-18T15:34:55Z

MADISON (AP) — More than 30 Wisconsin legislators have filed paperwork with state elections officials declaring they won't run for re-election this fall, including more than a dozen who plan to run in new districts and 15 others who say they're done with state government completely.

All 99 seats in the Assembly and 16 in the Senate are up for election in November. The Senate is currently split 16-16, with one vacancy, and four recall elections on June 5 will determine which party controls it heading into November. Republicans hold a 59-38-1 advantage in the Assembly.

Republicans who controlled the Legislature during the last session redrew state voting district boundaries, an exercise the Legislature undertakes every 10 years to account for population shifts. The Republicans drew the new boundaries in secret, fortifying Republican incumbents' hold on their areas and weakened Democrats.

The new maps left some incumbents, Democratic and Republican alike, living outside districts they've represented for years. Some Democratic incumbents ended up in the same district, forcing them to decide who would run.

Rep. Mark Radcliffe of Black River Falls, for example, decided to retire after he learned he would be in the same district as his colleague, Rep. Chris Danou of Trempealeau, said Joel Gratz, executive director of the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee. Rep. Bob Turner of Racine made the same choice after ending up in the same district as colleague Cory Mason, also of Racine, Gratz said.

Incumbents had until the end of the day Friday to file paperwork with the state Government Accountability Board to declare that they're not seeking re-election this fall.

Nine Assembly Democrats and five Assembly Republicans who filed declarations also have filed campaign finance documents indicating they'll run in a new district.

The Democrats include Danou; Mason; Terese Berceau of Madison; Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay; Andy Jorgenson of Fort Atkinson; Chris Taylor of Madison; John Steinbrink of Pleasant Prairie; Sondy Pope-Roberts of Middleton and Janis Ringhand of Evansville. The Republicans are Stephen Nass of Whitewater; Chris Kapenga of Delafield; Keith Ripp of Lodi; Samantha Kerkman of the Town of Randall; and Don Pridemore of Hartford.

Berceau said incumbents running in new districts face plenty of confused voters who don't realize Republicans have redrawn the maps.

"They're not exactly sure why they lost the representative they had," Berceau said. "Even in Madison, I've run into people who have said, 'Oh, I'm sorry to be losing you as my rep. ... The issue is going to be 'I don't get it. Explain why so-and-so's not around anymore and you are.'"

The past legislative session was one of the ugliest in Wisconsin history as Republicans pushed through GOP Gov. Scott Walker's contentious law stripping most public workers of nearly all their union rights.

Tens of thousands of people converged on the state Capitol to demonstrate against the measure non-stop for three weeks. Minority Democrats in the Senate fled the state in a vain attempt to block a vote in that chamber and Assembly Democrats forced Republicans to endure a 61-hour filibuster before they approved the plan. For months after the plan passed, protesters disrupted committee meetings and chased Republican lawmakers around the Capitol, calling them names.

Democrats removed two Republican state senators in recall elections last summer and have forced Walker, Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three more Republican senators into another round of recalls on June 5, creating a toxic atmosphere around the Capitol.

Fifteen lawmakers who had filed declarations of non-candidacy as of Friday evening planned to leave the Legislature altogether.

Five Assembly Democrats, four Assembly Republicans, independent Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc and Democratic state Sen. Jim Holperin of Conover plan to retire outright.

One Assembly Democrat, Mark Pocan of Madison, is running for Congress, and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, a Horicon Republican, is running for U.S. Senate. Democratic state Sen. Spencer Coggs of Milwaukee is leaving to serve as Milwaukee County treasurer and Assembly Democratic Louis Molepske is running for Portage County district attorney.

Two Assembly Democrats, Elizabeth Coggs of Milwaukee and Donna Seidel of Wausau, are running for spots in the state Senate. Two Assembly Republicans, Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst and Jerry Petrowski of Marathon, also are running for Senate positions. Petrowski, in fact, is set to square off against Seidel in a June 5 recall election for an open seat.

Gander Mtn. pulls out of events

2012-05-18T13:42:11Z

WAUSAU (AP) — A national outdoor gear retailer left the National Rifle Association scrambling when it bowed out of two politically-charged events this week.

The St. Paul, Minn.-based Gander Mountain canceled NRA meetings in Rothschild and Eau Claire. The meetings would have focused on support for Republican Gov. Scott Walker in the upcoming recall election.

In a posting on its Facebook page, Gander Mountain says it's been a longtime partner of the NRA, but that its customers are diverse and have varied interests, so it established a policy recently which prohibits it from hosting events on behalf of political causes or candidates.

NRA spokeswoman Stephanie Samford tells WAOW-TV the organization has held a number of events at Gander Mountain in the past at locations across the country.

Walker: No interest in higher office

2012-05-17T21:11:54Z

HARTLAND, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker says he has no interest in higher office and there's no job he wants more than to remain governor of Wisconsin.

Walker said in an Associated Press interview on Thursday that he remains focused on winning the June 5 recall and even if he doesn't retain his job he doesn't want to seek higher office.

Walker continues to refuse to say who he voted for in the Republican presidential primary last month.

Walker says Republicans are united in helping him win the recall and he doesn't want to create division by talking about who got his vote. But he says, "Most people wouldn't be shocked by who I voted for."

Gov. won't commit to right to work veto

2012-05-17T21:09:03Z

HARTLAND, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker says he will work against passage of any bill making Wisconsin a right to work state, but he still won't commit to issuing a veto should such a bill pass.

Walker told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that he won't respond to that hypothetical scenario. He says he will "actively work" to make sure such a bill doesn't pass and he believes it won't based on conversations he's had with Republican leaders in the Legislature.

Walker sponsored a right to work bill when he was a freshman Assembly member in 1993. And talk of him pushing such a bill intensified last week after a video from January 2011 emerged in which he talked about a divide and conquer strategy when taking on public sector unions.

Dems shift tactics, pound gov. on probe

2012-05-17T18:38:01Z

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Lost in the hoopla over the effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker after he took on union rights is an ongoing secret investigation that has already ensnared a handful of the Republican governor's former aides.

The investigation by Milwaukee County's district attorney hasn't resonated with voters, but with the June 5 recall less than three weeks away Democrats have started playing up questions about why Walker created a criminal defense fund for himself and whether the governor might face charges next.

Walker has branded the strategy a "cheap political stunt," but Democrats are banking that the tactic will help them curry favor with the dwindling pool of undecided voters who could turn the election.

"The public deserves some answers as they try to decide who to vote for," said Jeremy Levinson, an attorney for the state Democratic Party. "He just needs to explain what's going on. It's that simple."

Republicans say Democrats are grasping for an edge as polls show Walker pulling ahead of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The most recent Marquette University Law School poll, released Wednesday, showed Walker leading by 6 percentage points after the race was essentially a dead heat a month ago.

"When you're down or your message isn't playing the way you want it to in a tight race, you've got to find something else," said Brandon Scholz, a Madison lobbyist who has worked on a number of GOP congressional races across the country. "You've got to change that message and find something that sticks."

The push to recall Walker began last year after he championed a contentious law stripping most public sector workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights. Democrats called it an all-out attack on organized labor, but Barrett's easy primary victory over an opponent backed by most of the state's major unions signaled the momentum for the collective bargaining argument may have started to fade.

Barrett moved on to beating up Walker over his inability to create jobs, harping on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report that found Wisconsin lost the most jobs of any state between March 2011 and March 2012.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm has been quietly investigating Walker's associates during the governor's tenure as Milwaukee County executive. Chisholm, a Democrat, has set the probe up as a so-called John Doe proceeding, meaning his prosecutors can subpoena witnesses and compel them to testify while barring them from speaking publicly about the case. Five people have been charged so far on allegations ranging from embezzling money from a veterans trust fund to campaigning on county time.

Walker has insisted he's not a target, saying he learned honesty as an Eagle Scout and his county office even alerted Chisholm to the embezzlement. The governor told The Associated Press on Thursday that Chisholm has asked him not to comment on the investigation and he will honor that request.

"Every step of the way ... people see the high standards I have, they see the integrity I have, that remains intact all throughout this," he said.

Nobody has indicated when the investigation might end or who else it might ensnare. However, Walker's state spokesman, Cullen Werwie, who essentially serves as the governor's public face in his dealings with the media, has testified in the closed-door probe in exchange for immunity.

And Walker has created a legal defense fund using campaign contributions. Wisconsin law allows officeholders to create such funds only if they or their agents are being investigated or have been charged with campaign or election violations. Walker has said he formed the fund to cover "expenses incurred in cooperating with the inquiry," but he hasn't elaborated on the probe.

Barrett, who has been jabbing the governor on the investigation for weeks, said Wednesday that Walker needs to clear the air because "when people realize what's going on, they're troubled by it."

Still, the issue hasn't seemed to have gripped voters. Marquette polls conducted since February have consistently shown most people either regard the investigation as politics as usual or don't know enough about it to form an opinion about whether it's truly serious.

"Either he's being investigated or he expects to be charged," said Sachin Chheda, who chairs the Milwaukee Democratic Party. "What kind of position would the state be in if we don't know the facts, there's an election and there's an indictment after the election?"

Dick Frasser, a 74-year-old retired fire inspector from Watertown, said he plans to vote for the governor in the recall, despite the investigation.

"It's typical politics," Frasser said. "Ethically and morally, I suppose he does (need to explain his part in the probe). But they should do this after the election. Prior to it, they're digging up all the dirt they can."

The liberal attack group Greater Wisconsin Committee launched a television ad last week questioning how Walker didn't know what his county employees were doing, and Barrett sent Walker a letter Tuesday demanding he disclose any advice state election officials may have given him that led to him forming his defense fund.

Walker campaign spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said in a statement that Barrett is resorting to political stunts to deflect voters' attention from high unemployment in Milwaukee and his refusal to explain how he would manage the state budget. She didn't address the investigation itself.

Asked Wednesday whether the governor was under investigation, Matthews responded by pointing to remarks Walker has made to the media since January saying people are twisting things, he's not the target of the investigation and he agreed to meet with Chisholm to discuss the investigation.

Scholz, the former Republican operative, said Walker has nothing to gain by responding directly to Barrett. Democrats have run out of issues and are merely trying to put Walker's camp on defense, he said.

"When you're down or your message isn't playing the way you want it to in a tight race, you've got to find something else," Scholz said. "You've got to scratch for an issue. A John Doe is sexy. They'll just throw it out there. If they can force the other side to lose a half-day, that's what they'll do."
___

Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Hartland, Wis., contributed to this report.

Report: Wis. lost 6,200 jobs in April

2012-05-17T18:10:02Z

MADISON, Wis. — It's yet another mixed bag of news when it comes to jobs in Wisconsin.

The Department of Workforce Development released the numbers for April Thursday.

Click here to read the report

The new report comes just a day after the Walker administration released revised job numbers from last year.

It seems more people are back to work in Wisconsin.

At least that's what one survey from the state's Department of Workforce Development indicates.

Thursday, the DWD released reports from two separate surveys.

One survey of 1,400 homes, shows 6,800 more people were employed in April compared to March.

The report also showed the state's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.7 percent, a drop from 6.8 percent in March.

DWD officials say that is the lowest rate since 2008.

"Now we see the job numbers from the last year are up, we see unemployment continue to drop this past month, and we see plenty of good indicators for job growth and opportunities in the future," said Governor Scott Walker.

"Now we see again for the month of April, Wisconsin has lost jobs," said (D) Gubernatorial Nominee, Tom Barrett.

Barrett questions those numbers, especially since another survey paints a different picture of the state's economy.

A survey based on data from 3.5 percent of Wisconsin employers shows Wisconsin lost 6,200 private-sector jobs last month.

"If you look at the jobs numbers that are accepted by the state, the federal government and the media those jobs numbers tell you the state has lost jobs and that's why he's trying to muddy waters," Barrett said. "He can't defend his jobs record."

The Governor is downplaying those numbers

He says the survey indicating the drop in unemployment paints a more accurate picture.

"I think that's a great sign for the future, positive news from the people of Wisconsin our reforms are working," Walker said.

On Wednesday, the DWD released a report from 160,000 employers.

That showed a net gain of more than 23,300 jobs.

The measurement was from December of 2010 to December of 2011.

Those numbers contradicted a previous report, saying Wisconsin lost more than 33,900 jobs from March of 2011 to March of 2012.

The DWD says the numbers released Thursday are preliminary, and are still subject to change.

Voting guide for college students

2012-05-17T16:56:58Z

MADISON — With a rare summer election coming up, the board that oversees elections in Wisconsin has released some guidelines for college students.

Here are some questions and answers from the Government Accountability Board ahead of the June 5 gubernatorial recall election:

What are the requirements for voting residency in Wisconsin?

Under Wisconsin Statutes, an individual must reside in an election ward for at least 28 consecutive days and have no present intent to move. A person does not lose residency for voting purposes by leaving an established residence for temporary purposes with an intent to return to the residence. Student status is not a consideration in determining residence for the purpose of establishing voter residency.

If I am living at my campus address during the summer, where may I vote?

A student who has registered to vote at a campus address and continues to live there during the summer must vote from that location. A student who has registered to vote at a home address and lives on campus during the summer may vote from the home address or may register and vote from the campus address.

If I have resided at my campus address for 28 consecutive days, will live at my parents' home or elsewhere during the summer, and intend to return to a campus address in the fall, where may I vote?

Once a student has established residency at a campus address, the student may register to vote and may vote using the student's campus address until the student establishes a new voting residence. This is the case even if the student is temporarily away from campus and does not know their campus address for the following school year. If the student has previously registered to vote at the campus address, the student may not register to vote at a home or other address (whether or not it is in the municipality where the campus is located) until re-establishing residency for 28 consecutive days prior to the election. Alternatively, a student may register to vote from a home address if the student has not yet registered to vote from a campus address. In that case the student's home address is considered the permanent address for voting purposes and the student is only temporarily away from that address during the school year.

If I have graduated or have left school, am moving from my campus address and do not intend to return in the fall, where may I vote?

An individual who is registered to vote at a Wisconsin campus or home address, leaves that address permanently, and moves to another Wisconsin residence may continue to vote using the prior address until establishing residency for 28 consecutive days at the new location. An individual who leaves their Wisconsin campus or home address and moves to an out-of- State residence, and who has no intent to return to the ward in which the prior address is located, may not vote in the June 5th recall election from the prior address.

How and when may I obtain an absentee ballot for the June 5, 2012 recall election?

Municipal clerks must make ballots available to absentee voters, in-person or by mail, by Monday, May 21, 2012. Absentee ballots may be obtained by submitting a written request to the municipal clerk (or the Election Commission in the City of Milwaukee) by mail, fax, email, or in person. Clerks may email or fax ballots for the recall election only to military voters.

Most requests for an absentee ballot must be submitted to the municipal clerk (or Milwaukee Election Commission) by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, 2012. Indefinitely confined voters and military voters at home must submit requests by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2012.

Absentee ballot requests from military voters who are away from home or from sequestered jurors must be submitted by 5:00 on the day of the election. Voters mailing in an absentee ballot must have it postmarked by Election Day, June 5, 2012, and it must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 8, 2012.

In-person absentee voting begins on Monday, May 21, 2012, and continues until 5:00 p.m. or the close of business, whichever is later, on Friday, June 1, 2012.